Imphal, June 8 — A day after violent protests broke out over the arrest of a leader of the Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol, the situation in Manipur’s Imphal Valley remained volatile on Sunday. Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in five districts and suspended mobile and internet services to curb further unrest.
Security personnel were deployed in force across Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching districts, where Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was invoked to prohibit gatherings of five or more people and the carrying of weapons or dangerous objects.
“Violent protests broke out after the arrest of a leader of Arambai Tenggol. All preventive measures are in place,” a senior police officer told reporters.
The protests turned chaotic on Saturday night, with demonstrators clashing with security forces in several locations across the state capital. In Kwakeithel and Uripok, protesters set fire to tyres and old furniture, demanding the immediate release of the arrested leader. A mob torched a bus at Khurai Lamlong in Imphal East, and gunshots were heard in the area, though it remains unclear who fired them.
In one of the more dramatic scenes, members of Arambai Tenggol doused themselves in petrol as a form of symbolic protest. The unrest also spread to Tulihal, where demonstrators blocked the road to the Imphal airport and gheraoed the entrance in an attempt to prevent the leader from being moved out of the state.
Internet and mobile data services, including VSAT and VPN connections, have been shut down in the affected valley areas as a preventive measure. Curfew-like restrictions were implemented in parts of Imphal East, where residents have been ordered to stay indoors from 10 p.m. on Saturday until further notice, under Section 163(1) of the BNSS.
Security has been tightened around key government establishments, including the Raj Bhavan, with central forces deployed to maintain order.
An official order from the district magistrate of Imphal West cited “serious breach to peace, disturbance to public tranquillity, riot or affray in the area, and grave danger to human lives and properties due to unlawful activities of anti-social elements” as the rationale for the restrictions.
The situation continues to remain tense, with officials closely monitoring developments and bracing for further agitation.
